El GPS Boricua

A friend (you know who you are!) posted this video and I thought it was just too funny to not post. If you've ever been driving in Puerto Rico you'll know exactly what this is talking about. It is in Spanish though.

Leave Elvis Crespo Alone!

As I'm sure you've heard, the famous merengue-singer Elvis Crespo is in trouble for masturbating on a plane. That said, I must call attention to this fabulous video a la Chris Crocker in response to all the publicity he's gotten. It is hilarious--and for those of you who need it, there are English subtitles!

A hilarious video on Puerto Rico

When I need something funny, I usually look for "Spanish projects" on Youtube, with the results usually being quite satisfying. I chanced upon this video today and thought everyone might like a laugh. I'm coming up on finals so I can say I definitely needed it. Enjoy!!

Puerto Rican Obama... in Spain?

I saw this and couldn't resist linking to it here... a video of a Puerto Rican "Obama". Supposedly, they look similar (not so much to my eye but whatever). For me the most interesting part is the guy's accent... he mentioned he'd been living in Spain for 5 years, and you can tell that his Puerto Rican accent has been suppressed, but at the same time you can still hear it...

Yeah Puerto Rico!

My friend caught this commercial for me on TV and had to send me the link... then I was forced to post it. First off, it's hilarious, and second, it's so true. This is the essence of Puerto Ricans, I think: they don't always win (or it's a smaller victory; hey, it's a small island you know!), but they're damn proud and enthusiastic anyways. Good stuff.

More Daddy Yankee

Those of you who suffered through the only slightly over-dramatic Daddy Yankee post (and the new video) will be happy to know that he has a new single out and it's much better. I mean, it's no classic (does reggaetón even have classics?) but it's a huge difference.

Here's the video.

3rd Grade History Report on Puerto Rico

'Nough said.

Daddy Yankee: de calle? Well...

Daddy Yankee has had quite a lucrative career so far. He basically introduced reggaetón to North America and, consequently, the world with his collaboration in "Oye Mi Canto" and, of course, "Gasolina". And then there's this...



It's been really interesting to watch him grope for the solution to the reggaetón vacuum. He's already in a tough position, seeing as reggaetón, especially outside the island, has lost most of its muster. Now he's trying to make a movie ("Talento de Barrio": Talent from the Barrio/Hood) intended to draw viewers precisely because of the fast-fading genre.

But his answer to this is even more problematic. He's effectively moving on from reggaetón into hip hop, with lack-luster results.

I'm not sure it's occurred to him that he is the face of reggaetón and no matter how he says he's revolutionizing the genre, his face will always be associated with the repetitive beats that garnered him the title "king of reggaetón". After all, look at "Rompe". The lyrics were horrible but because of the reggaetón it did incredibly well. Meanwhile, his latest CD, El Cartel: The Big Boss, did not do nearly as well as was expected because it was practically entirely hip hop over-polished production that lost its Puerto Rican audience without attracting many Americans to what was essentially bland hip hop.

Despite that fiasco (and ignoring the only truly successful single "Ella Me Levantó"), Daddy Yankee returns to hip hop in order to advertise a movie about his reggaetón roots. Sound strange yet?

The video then follows up with him and his "posse" of actors, him in a golf cart, him with a nice car, all while rapping about how great he is. It's as if he stole it from a checklist of what to put in an American hip hop video. Or maybe it's just a watered-down "8 Mile". There is nothing original at all.

The song is just not catchy, either. Probably the most disappointing part.

I feel sorry for him, really. I do think he'll have some success with the movie just because his name's on it, but I can imagine it flopping quite easily. He's basically crossing genres without much of an audience waiting for him and then risking it on a film he's been working on for years. I can't see this helping him.

¡Bendito! Get it together, man!

Sie7e's New CD

So I just happened to catch on iTunes that Sie7e has released a new CD called Para Mí.

But wait... who is Sie7e? Okay, I have to admit that I don't really know much about the guy except that he's Puerto Rican. I just happened to catch one of his videos in Puerto Rican MTV one night while flipping channels and ended up enjoying the song. And about two weeks ago I figured out that his first CD was on iTunes, so I downloaded that, then lo and behold there's another one.

So I buy that one (got to support poor artists, you know). And... I don't know. It does show a lot more musical experience and just tighter sound overall, but I was really unhappy to hear the new version of his single; it has lost the looseness of the original. On the other hand, there are a lot less slow songs (I hate slow songs)--but the one song where it worked on the old CD was a song called "Y Te Vas", a very unoriginal song but beautiful regardless, and on this CD there's nothing to replace that.

One of the highlights on the CD is a song called "Te Repito", which has a chorus about repeating the chorus over and over again so that it sticks in your head (get it? the chorus is about the chorus... yeah). It's a parody of all the songs that are popular just because of that catchy chorus, while also discussing how he has to compromise his lofty career goals with the music he wants to make, and how being "rockero" (into rock rather than reggaetón) shouldn't have to mean absolutely no interest in other genres, particularly latin (he mentions liking Vico C--older, more traditional reggaetón--and El Gran Combo--salsa).

"Rockero, latino caribeño
It didn't work for me cahntar con el aceynto*
La cosa complicada no funcionó
Sonaba muy bonito pero nadie lo entendió."

"Rockero, Caribbean latino
Singing with an accent* didn't work for me
That complicated stuff didn't work
It sounded pretty but no one understood it."

*this part he's singing in a really thick "gringo" accent, making fun of a lot of rockeros who try to only speak English or speak Spanish with an accent to seem more authentic.

That is followed by his "manager" yelling at him to include a catchy chorus and repeat it over and over again. It's a good point to make, seeing as most songs (particularly reggaetón) only get popular because of the chorus and hardly anyone actually knows the other words or what the song is about.

Anyways, not only the song but also the entire album is a great example of how to reconcile this "rockero" identity with Puerto Rican music, which many see as incompatible but really isn't. As a consequence, Sie7e mixes traditional Latin sounds with his own guitar playing and some catchy pop... if you're expecting an actual rock CD, look elsewhere, but if you want pop with a little more umpf, you've found it.

Well, almost. I guess the problem with this CD is that it still sounds intermediary. While many of the topics dealt with in the songs are good, they are not fully developed, and the songs, while decent, are also missing something. They're just a little flat. However, I would definitely keep following Sie7e's music, because I'm pretty sure in a couple of years we'll be hearing something more dynamic from him.

Here's the video I was talking about in the beginning.



The song is called "Cógelo ahora porque después se va" ("Get it now because soon it'll be gone"; a slightly smoother name in English would be "Get it before it's gone"). It's catchy and has a decent message, and I like that he insists on "pa'lante, pa'lante, pa'lante", which is kind of awkwardly translated as "(Go) Forward, forward, forward". Point is we always (individually and as communities) always needed to be reminded to advance with what we're doing and not get distracted in the journey.

In the end I do recommend the CD, but if you didn't enjoy the video I would skip it and wait for his future releases.

Still unsure? Check out this video where he includes a whole bunch of samples of the CD, and here is the video for the title song.

Boricua en la Luna

Nothing to say right now, since I'm swamped with work, so I thought I would leave you all with this. Have a nice night...

Cockfighting is Still Legal in Puerto Rico

Cockfighting, surprisingly, is still legal in Puerto Rico, even though it's illegal in the United States (including Louisiana as of late). Interestingly enough, it's legal in Guam as well--maybe it's a U.S. territory thing?

It's pretty cruel that this tradition continues, but it's still very popular in Puerto Rico. In many neighborhoods you can hear roosters crowing at all hours of the day, and most (although not all) are for cockfighting. I've met a few people with roosters and the amount of pride they have in raising their birds is astounding.

Anyways, I have two videos that can tell you a lot more than I can, and if you want the nitty-gritty here's the Humane Society's page.

Some Puerto Rican Old-School Humor

I found this video a while ago but I've decided to share it now.



Here's a transcription and a translation:

Iris: ¡Ay bendito se le paró el carro! ¿Y eso cómo fue?
Hombre: ¡No sé! Yo le había echado coolant, pero se calentó.
I: Mira, lo voy a ayudar, porque yo tengo un tremendo coolant... Amelie. La proxima vez échale Amelie. Este sí es un coolant de calidad superior. Porque... todos los coolants no son iguales, ¿sabes? Amelie es mejor de lo que tiene que ser.
H: Ah pero oiga, ¿Usted no es Iris Chacón?
I: Sí-í-í... Y de coolant, yo sí sé. Exiga Amelie -- tremendo coolant.

Iris: Oh you poor thing, your car stopped! How did that happen?
Man: I don't know! I gave it coolant but it got hot anyways.
I: Look, I'm gonna help you, because I have this tremendous coolant... Amelie. Next time give it Amelie. This really is a superior quality coolant. Since not all coolants are the same, you know? Amelie is better than it has to be.
M: Oh... hey, aren't you Iris Chacón?
I: Yep! And I know coolant. Ask forAmelie -- tremendous coolant.

Notes:

• This is a good video for practicing Spanish. They're speaking pretty clearly, the video is short, and it's funny.
  
• Iris Chacón is a very famous actress in Puerto Rico who had her own variety show there for about 15 years. David Letterman calls her the "Dolly Parton of Puerto Rico" and even though I hate both Dolly Parton and analogies (and to a lesser degree David Letterman) I'm inclined to agree. A lot of her act involved showing her butt, as seen in the commercial here.
• The joke going on here, for those perhaps less in touch with their Spanish curse words, is that the pronunciation of "coolant" sounds an awful lot like "culo" (ass). So at first it seems as if she is saying "I have a tremendous ass", which, all things considered, isn't too far from the truth. Anyways, it's simply a clever play on words, and it works very well. Too bad Amelie doesn't exist anymore; well, it might, but it failed the Google test.
  

A Bunch of Interesting Things from the Island!

I know it's been a couple of days but I've found some decent stuff this time, including some acceptable articles in English! Hoorah!

... but first, let's start with some Spanish.



This video was brought to my attention by this blog post, which kindly mentions that this greatness has been mostly ignored. Really sad, since it features the amazing Sunshine Logroño, Puerto Rico's most popular comedian (a very informative Wikipedia article is here). Definitely worth checking out, especially for linguistic reasons. Just sayin'.

Okay. Anyways... good news for anyone reading in California (if there is anyone)! There are flights in May for $225, which is cheaper than for us on the East Coast, although I'm not sure how that makes sense. This is a really low price so take advantage of it while you can.

Back to the real agenda... First off, I have this article about Obama and Hillary courting Puerto Rico's voters. Not too different from the usual but I think I just about died laughing when I saw this:

At the conclusion of the 1898 Spanish American War, the U.S. seized the island, and for five decades treated it like a whore.

¡Qué pavera! (Hilarious is the best way to translate that, I suppose... pavera is a laughing fit) Very unprofessional but I definitely got a kick out of it.

Anyways....

This article doesn't have the same eloquent writing as the last one but it is interesting. It's a collection of census results. It really sheds some light on the housing difficulties (and then some) of Puerto Rico. For example, the homeownership rate of Puerto Rico is about 74%, only behind 2 states (Michigan and Minnesota), and yet they spend almost as much paying for their house (mortgage, etc) as Californians, who spend the most on their houses in the country. I don't think this is due to a lot of Puerto Ricans needlessly buying houses, but rather the massive jumps in costs for amenities and morgage. Also, it says that Puerto Rico has the lowest graduating rate in the country, yet it's bachelor degree rate was higher than three states. Doesn't seem to match up. Poverty has decreased but it's still three times the rate of the United States and twice as bad as the worst state.

I think that's enough of that since it depresses me a bit.

Finally, my favorite newspaper, the Washington Post, has finally got something about Puerto Rico, and it's even in both English and Spanish! Very useful read for understanding some of the roots of Puerto Rico's economic/political problems today. I don't think I need to say much more than that.

Exploring Puerto Rico's African Heritage, Part 4: Bemba. and other Words of the Week (Months?)

Yes, word of the week is (finally) back! This week it's bembes/bembas, a word referring to lips, particularly big ones. It feels a bit exaggerated usually and is often used ironically.

Here is a very partial list of other words from various African languages that are present in Puerto Rico today. I say "very partial" because while there are undoubtedly many more words from African languages, few can be traced back to their origins, not only a difficult task but one that is mostly ignored, since very few etymologists and linguists study either African languages or Puerto Rico (sad, really). Anyways, this is a pretty thorough list of words that are definitely from an African language that are used today. The definitions are kind of vague, my fault. Keep in mind that the uses of these words are really fluid and so they are used often in different ways besides the ones given here.

Anyways, without any further ado...

Anamú - a bush, a plant
Bachata - a dance from the Dominican Republic, originally just any kind of party
Baquiné - wake for dead children
Bembeteo - a talkative person, usually someone who speaks way more than they they should
Bembón - a person with big lips
Bochinche - gossip
Bomba - african type dance
Bongó - percussion instrument
Burundanga - mix of things (usually in cooking)
Cachimbo - smoking pipe (according to a more official definition), but also used as a nickname
Calalú - vegetable
Candungo - container, usually bucket or trash can
Chango - a type of black bird, also a timid or wimpy guy
Changa - timid, wimpy girl
Cheche - boss, guru
Chévere - cool, great
Chongo - something that doesn't work because it's slow or old
Chumbo/a - flat butt
Cocolo - people who like salsa
Cocoroco - sound of a rooster
Conga - percussion instrument
Dengue - mosquito as well as the virus
Fufú - a spell
Funche - hard corn meal food
Gandinga - pork tripe, intestines
Gandul - pigeon pea
Gongolí - a little worm
Grifería - african hair
Guineo - banana
Guingambó - okra
Jurutungo - used in "estoy por lo ultimo" instead of ultimo ("I'm almost there")
Mafafo - overweight person, also a type of banana.
Malanga - vegetable
Malango - an ordinary or stupid person
Mambo - type of dance
Marifinga - bland cornmeal food
Marimba - a seed that is dried and filled with smaller seeds to make the instrument
Merengue - a sweet as well as a Dominican dance
Mofongo - dish of mashed plantains
Mogolla - really mixed up
Mondongo - type of dish made of cow stomach
Monga - an illness, like a headcold
Mongo - without strenght
Ñame - yam
Ñangotao - squatting
Neñeñe - whiny, bratty person
Ñoco - missing a part of their body, like a hand or foot
Ñoño/a - lazy or childish person
Pachanga - a country dance
Quimbambas - boondocks
Quingombó - a bean
Sambumbia - keep adding things, usually liquids (to a stew, for example)
Sandunga/eo - enjoyment or a rhythm that overtakes you
Titingó - going out to have fun
Tumbao - a type of walking that is really notable in the streets...
I'm not really sure how to explain this last one, I think the best way would be through this video here...

Well that's all for now... I'll be posting later (I hope... depends on a few external factors!).

Exploring Puerto Rico's African Heritage, Part 4: Bomba

Bomba is a dance created by African slaves in Loíza, although it is danced all over the island, especially in the West (like Mayagüez) and South (like Ponce). It is a beautiful dance, with strong beats and irresitable movements. It also is one of the roots of Salsa and most of Puerto Rico's music.

The general outfit for both men and women is white: men white suits (or at least a white shirt) and a straw hat, women in a white shirt and skirt (usually). Colors can be added to this but the white is expected. The pivotal part of the outfit is the woman's skirt, which must have multiple thick layers in order to create the desired effect.

The dancers in turn are accompanied by a variety of musicians. Percussion is crucial. Usually it's a trio of barriles, large drums, along with a single maraca and other instruments. There are also singers, either a soloist or a group (or both). Click

Bomba is, overall, a dialogue between the musicians and the dancer(s). With her skirt (or possibly a shawl or scarf), the dancer directs the percussion. I can't think of any way to describe this but with videos.

First off, here is a short video with one of the most important figures in Bomba today, Tata Cepeda. Her family has been a huge part in the survival and growth of Bomba. This doesn't really show off the "dialogue" per se, since I'm pretty sure it's choreographed, but it is a tribute to her talents as well as an amazing dance.



This other video is longer and not as fast, but if you are still interested I highly recommend it. It takes a moment to get ready, but the dancing is really interesting.



I hope somehow I've managed to share my affection for this dancing with you... it's kind of hard to express the feeling while watching it. Still...

Exploring Puerto Rico's African Heritage, Part 3: Loíza

Loíza is a city just east of San Juan, touching the Atlantic Ocean. The name Loíza purportedly comes from a Taíno cacica (female cacique, chief), who chose the name Luisa when baptized by the Spaniards. There is a variety of mythology surrounding the name and origin of the city, however. During colonial times, Loíza began to harbor escaped slaves not only from Puerto Rico but from all over the Caribbean. Because of this population, Loíza today is considered the center of African-derived culture in the island, bringing the popular bomba and other activities to the island which now form part of its identity. On the other hand, Loíza is one of the most impoverished parts of the island. Largely because of its black population and bureaucratic racism, Loíza has been slower than most municipalities to receive financial help. Drugs are a big problem, along with crime. However, I think some of these claims are a bit exaggerated and it is not as horrible as some say. I don't have much experience there, though, so I can't say.

Anyways, one of Loíza's greatest contributions to Puerto Rico's identity is the fiesta de Santiago (Saint James). This holiday is celebrated during July in the streets of Loíza with parades depicting the battle between the Spaniards and the Moors. While it is known for its strange creatures and caricatures of people that seems as though they have stepped out of an abstract painting, the real show-stealer is the vejigantes, the bizarre demons with paper-mache or coconut masks and giant dresses made in every vivid color that exists. While they're supposed to represent the Moors, they have become so much more. They are dancing, mischievous characters that have captured the affections of the island.

A great account of this festival can be found here, and a fascinating video (in Spanish and produced by the University of Puerto Rico) from 1949 is here.

(By the way, the picture here was drawn by my good friend. I've asked her to do a few drawings for the blog, hopefully we'll see more soon!)

Gabriel Rios

This is a video of Gabriel Rios, called "Broad Day Light". I kind of stumbled on him by accident. He's Puerto Rican from the island, but now is quite famous in Belgium of all places. His music in English is really interesting, very European feel...

... but his music in Spanish sounds much more latin. It's as if he's a different artist.

Anyways, I can't stop listening to him. So I recommend it (at least to younger people).

(By the way, I promise there will be a real entry soon!)

Musical instruments of Puerto Rico

What, you didn't think your holiday would go without a present from me?

I thought, in time to finish up the parranda season, I'd do a quick introduction of musical instruments from Puerto Rico.

Pandereta

The pandereta isn't much different from a tambourine, except the one here (which is mine) actually is a tambourine. Oops. Anyways, it's the same except without the bells on the side.

This picture on the right is of the inside. Click for a larger view.

Palitos

If you speak enough Spanish you probably could have guessed what these are. They're simple sticks! You play them by hitting the two ends together. Pretty easy.

Güiro

The güiro was invented by the Taíno, the indigenous people of Puerto Rico. Basically, it is a gourd that is emptied, then left to dry. Grooves are cut into the top, and holes lie underneath for the fingers usually. It's played with what honestly could be a hair pick, which is scraped quickly over the grooved area in both directions. This makes a loud, rich percussion sound.

I'm a big fan of the güiro. It has a beautiful sound and a unique character.

Maracas

Maracas are another Taíno instrument made from gourds. Most people know what maracas are and how to play them so I don't think they deserve much of an explanation.

I will say, however, that these particular maracas on the side here were made by my friend's father from some gourds he picked up. I painted them.

To wrap this all up, here is a short video I made that demonstrates the sounds of each instrument. It's nothing special, and the sound quality is not... ideal, but it helps.

There is an excellent website for learning about Puerto Rican music in both English and Spanish here. I highly recommend it!

¡Feliz navidad! Merry Christmas!

For those of you not familiar with José Feliciano, he is indeed Puerto Rican!

¡Feliz navidad a todos!

Speaking of lechón and navidad...

So, in the same thread as yesterday's post, here's El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico singing "La Fiesta de Pilito", one of their classic songs about Christmas (and its food!).

"One of its most popular older hits, "La Fiesta de Pilito" ("Pilito's Party"), a Christmas party song, sells each holiday as if it were a new release, some record store owners say..."